Imprisoned, starved and abused by his captors, Darcel finds his only escape in the depths of madness. But he’s tormented by his own demons, who taunt him with the memories of his past and of his beloved prince, Alasar of Rais. The man who condemned him to this prison for killing the enemy’s high king. The man who betrayed him, when he should have returned a hero. After three years of torment, Darcel is about to give up, to turn himself over to the demon for the blessed release of death. Until he hears the pounding of boots up the prison stairs and finds Alasar in his cell, overjoyed at finally finding him, distraught at his condition, and desperate to save him, with no knowledge of how his friend had come to be there.

After tending his wounds, Alasar transports Darcel back to the palace by sledge, no easy task since it’s deep winter and Darcel is barely alive. But when the enemy raiders attack their party and capture Darcel, it’s clear they seek vengeance for the murder of their king. Until their new king, Harlech, explains that Darcel was not captured, but sold to them. By Alasar.

Caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and betrayal, Darcel does not know whom to trust—or whom to serve. With two warring leaders both demanding his loyalty, and both men earning his love, how is Darcel supposed to know what’s real, or where his heart truly lies?

Aubrey Hunnisett is the owner of a posh and successful nightclub. She has her mind set on acquiring a rival club owned by the sexy and mysterious Michael Lennox. Unfortunately for her, Club Lunar is not for sale. Even worse, she can’t escape her instant attraction to the dark Michael. Attraction that borders on mind-consuming lust.

Michael thought he had enough to worry about as a vampire club owner in a competitive market without a beautiful woman marching into his office and demanding to buy him out. Someone or something evil has been trying to shut his club down for good by murdering club goers. At first he suspects Aubrey is connected to the plot somehow, so he’s more than willing to pleasure her until she reveals her every secret to him. Yet once had has a glimpse inside her mind, he discovers something even more terrifying. He is drawn to the beautiful, kind soul she keeps hidden behind her tough business-manager exterior.

Still, someone is out to destroy Michael, and now Aubrey is in danger as well…

Scarlet Burke isn’t an ordinary witch. She comes from a long line of Burke witches, whose job it is to protect the good folks of Purgatory, Alabama from things that go bump in the night—and things that might slip through the portal in Fool’s Wood. Normally, it’s an easy gig that doesn’t take much time from her day job. Until her ex-husband turns up dead in a ritualistic killing no one recognizes. William, a mundane, had high-tailed it out of town years ago after getting Scarlet’s baby sister pregnant. So why had he come back? Better yet, who (besides Scarlet) had wanted him dead badly enough to lure him to the forest, stake him, skin him, and drain his blood? It wasn’t a vampire kill, but she was damned if she could determine what it was.

Werewolf Jake Mills, the bossy and possessive chief of police, can’t believe anyone in his town could commit such a brutal crime. And Scarlet can’t believe she’s still trying to avoid his advances. Jake has been chasing her for years, and if he wasn’t so charming—and so drop dead sexy—she might try harder to outrun him. Or at least summon a bit of self-control. But the man simply refuses to stay in the “Just Friends” box she’s placed him in.

But when the killer targets Scarlet’s family, ghouls, demons, and dark fae all come under suspicion. And when her daughters become the targets of an ancient dark ritual, Scarlet and Jake are forced to make an impossible choice. Fight evil with evil, or watch Scarlet’s daughters die…

Werewolf Pack Princess Kelly is overwhelmed with her new business, trouble with the rival cat shifters, and trying to ignore the attraction to her best friend’s younger brother. By bidding on Brandon in the Bachelor Auction, she thought she was just doing him a favor, saving him from the craziness. But now that she’s won him, her wolf wants to mark him as her mate, and she’s starting to lose control. So when he whisks her away for his birthday weekend, how can she say no? Every kiss distracts her. Each caress sets her on fire. And every whiff of his scent makes her wolf want to take him where he stands.

As a former hockey player and werewolf, Brandon knows all about being pulled in different directions. And he knows exactly what he’s asking for when he pursues a relationship with the already overwhelmed Kelly. She may be five years older than he is, and the daughter of his pack’s Alpha, and his sister’s best friend and business partner, but none of that matters. There’s only one person he wants to spend his birthday with, and he’s not going to let her refuse. And when Brandon has his eye on the goal, there’s nothing that can stop him…

Daisy Janney–college student and assistant mortician–can’t wait to get out to the country to attend a music festival for spring break. Her favorite band Shizknit will be there. But so will the bugs. And the bathrooms at their campsite are just…wow. Then there’s the secret war being waged by the wizards of the council and a mysterious group of creatures that look a whole lot like bigfoots (bigfeet?). Whatever they are, they seem to know something about Daisy that she doesn’t, and they aren’t telling. Now she’s got to save an entire race of mythical—scratch that, very real but kind of smelly—creatures from the clutches of the deranged (and equally smelly) leader of the council, Caroline. If she plays her cards right, Janie might be able to stay alive…and she might even get to spend what’s left of spring break getting to know the bass player for Shizknit a little better…

Italy, 1565—Niccolo is a philosopher, a nobleman, and an honorable man. He’s also an alchemist—considered a heretic and an enemy of the church. When his beloved fiancée dies of a mysterious ailment on the eve of their wedding day, Niccolo loses all direction. Maddened by grief, he attempts a desperate, unthinkable act, one from which there is no turning back: transformation of the dead into the living…

Italy, 2015—While excavating a Renaissance-era burial site, Julia discovers a beautiful but mysterious carving. Wreathed in classic period symbols—a cross, a family crest, an open book—the piece contains another symbol she can’t quite place—an alembic—a type of distillation apparatus used in alchemy. Then she finds something else—a burial plaque commemorating the deaths of two people, a man and a woman. Curious, Julia continues to excavate the site, but before she can complete her work, something gives way beneath her and she falls…or is pulled…through the darkness and emptiness of time…

But when Julia turns up in the body of Niccolo’s fiancée, confusion battles with danger. Inextricably drawn to one another, Julia and Niccolo find solace in each other’s arms. But to love again, they’ll have to defy the deadly prejudice of others and the terrifying power of the Spanish Inquisition. Between love, loss, and murderous betrayal, can the alchemy of love create enough magic to save them?

After fleeing to Miami to escape her junkie ex-boyfriend, Summer Marsden finds work as a waitress upstairs in the swanky restaurant and gentlemen’s club, Collar and Cuffs. Although she loves the job, her big mouth gets her into trouble. Intending to resign before she causes more problems, she finds herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and dangerously handsome Nathan Faulkener.

Nathan irons out her problem and takes her downstairs to the Bottom Bar, which she discovers is actually an exclusive BDSM club within Collar and Cuffs. Nathan re-ignites her passion for BDSM, and their desire for each other explodes. He wants nothing more than to solve all Summer’s problems and give her the world, but she has secrets she’s never told, and a sordid, dangerous history that won’t stay in the past. When her ex shows up gunning for revenge, even Nathan might not be strong enough to save her…

When their wedding is ruined by a werepanther attack, Katrina is left hospitalized and Blane is just…gone. But when he finally finds his way back to Riverdale, he learns he’s not the only one who’s been tracking Katrina…

“Lost Soul, Lost Love” by Nessie Strange

The Living Dead World Series

It’s Jen MacLellan’s first trip back to earth as a new reaper, and Mardi Gras is in full swing. When she happens upon Chip, a partier stuck in a perpetual 1983, Jen decides to help him find the woman he loves so he can move on. Assuming all goes well when he finds her…

“Red Dogs” by Keith Melton

The Zero Dog Mission Series

Mercenary pyromancer Andrea Walker has just saved the world from bloodthirsty hagworms and is late for her Valentine’s date with Jake. Until she hears that Jake has already left her house…with her…

“V-Day” by CL Bledsoe

The Necro-Files Series

Daisy and her friends think going to a frat party on Valentine’s Day will be a fun, not-at-all-desperate Girls Night Out. What they don’t expect is to have Delilah’s succubus pheromones accidentally set off the apocalypse…

After her husband’s death in Colonial Pennsylvania, Ann Sellars forges a business partnership with Toby Jackson that quickly becomes a friendship. But when Toby proposes marriage on the eve of leaving for England, Ann isn’t sure if she’s ready to leave her memories, or her new business, behind…

“A Perfect Judge” Cynthia Hampton

When Kamber Prescott agrees to emcee the annual Valentine’s Day Fantasy Auction, she has no intention to bid on one of the sexy bachelors. But seeing Jeffrey Hatcher again after their Christmas party fling makes her reconsider. Especially since the auction has only one rule: the rules exist only if you want them to…

A blind Valentine’s date mix-up pairs Rebecca with her geeky high school boyfriend. Geek no more, Parker’s now the alpha of his pack, and he’s determined to show Rebecca what the last few years have taught him…

“Crash Me Once…” by Jayne Ripley

Cenn and Redlan are part of the pack on the space cruiser Wolfstar. But Redlan has never claimed her in front of the pack…and she’s starting to wonder why. When a foraging mission on a remote moon throws an unexpected catastrophe their way, each of them must decide exactly what to risk…and which of them will be the first to yield to their true feelings.

Angela O’Neil has been waiting for the perfect moment to share a secret with her two husbands, and Valentine’s Day is it. But things take a turn for the worse when she sees red. Is she about to lose the one thing that would complete their three-way bond?

“Flight of Fancy” by Nikki Dee Houston

Thrown together in a cramped airplane, Frankie and James have exactly four hours to get the sexual attraction out of their system. And why shouldn’t they? They’re never going to see each other again. Until they realize they’re both flying in for the same family wedding…and that they’re going to be part of that same family…

“Ruby’s Valentine” by Arianna Archer

The very last thing Officer Jude Cole wanted to do was arrest the love of his life for murder. Though Ruby had run out on Jude years ago, he’d never stopped carrying a torch for her. She’d recently come back to town, but she wasn’t alone. Now Jude is forced to arrest Ruby for shooting the husband everyone knew abused her. Jude hadn’t been able to capture Ruby’s restless heart then…could he bring himself to cage her now?

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I’m happy to present my interview with Liah Penn. Her book Pure Death is the first book in the futuristic Ina Stone and Sam Fujimoto Mystery series! It’s a romantic suspense/mystery that delivers a wild ride!

(blurb and excerpt below)

* * *

Hi, Liah. Thanks for stopping by to talk a little about your writing! Let’s jump right in. So when did you begin writing and why?

I have been writing since I was ten years old and created a picture book series about a man named “Mr. Bee” who had all sorts of adventures with the neighborhood kids, like the zoo. I never stopped, however, I did take a pretty big break from writing when my children were little.

What is your writing process like?

I write every day. It’s the only way to keep the momentum going. I start by identifying the main premise of my novel, then choose my characters. I have a worksheet that I use to identify their motivations and their backgrounds. I often work late into the night.

Are there specific challenges that writers face as opposed to other artists?

I am also a visual artist and I paint. I can start and finish a piece in a day, and there’s immediate gratification with having completed a piece. If you are writing a novel, it’s completely different; months go by before anyone even sees your first draft.

Writer’s block—real or hype?

I can honestly say that I never have writer’s block because when I come to a sort of impasse, I write through it, even if it ends up being kind of crappy on the page. That’s why you edit. I think every writer is different.

Do you prefer to extensively plot your stories, or do you write them as they come to you?

Sadly, I am not an extensive plotter, I’m more of a “panters” and write by the seat of my pants. That can backfire, though, so I created a worksheet, single page, that keeps me on track. I have a general idea of the sequence of events but I don’t outline chapter by chapter.

Any advice to writers just starting out?

Just keep writing. I wrote 3 full length novels with lots of holes before I felt I had a product that I could pitch at a conference. Each novel is easier, but getting through the first few is tough and they probably aren’t publishable.

Thanks again for stopping by, Liah! Readers can discover more about Liah Penn here:

A murdered society debutante, her body sprinkled with 89 Costa Rican butterflies. A headless, gutted corpse washed up on shore with a beautiful, dead teenager. The case is anything but straightforward, and in an uncertain future, where resources are limited and the genetically defective are banished to a ghetto territory for Impures, Chief Detective Ina Stone and her partner, rookie detective Sam Fujimoto, must cross into Pure Territory to find a killer. An Impure herself, Ina must overcome her defect. And when her life is threatened, she must learn to rely on Sam, whose interest in her seems more than just professional.

Yet the Pures may have created a world in which even they don’t want to live anymore. Resources have become too scarce to hide, and a black market for medicine comes to light. When a third murder is discovered, Ina and Sam know there’s a connection. With too many suspects and not enough time, they must find that connection before the killer strikes again.

After years on the road conning wealthy nobles out of their gold, Kiera is ready to give up her life of crime and return to her childhood home of Cearbhall. She’s got one last job in mind, one that will see her set for life. What harm could come from impersonating a country princess to marry a prince and live wealthily ever after? Except her childhood home is nothing like she remembered. The king has gone senile, his younger sons rule with terror, and the crown prince is missing. The prince she’s to wed is only interested in siring an heir, and her future brother-in-law wants to get into her skirts. Deciding the grifter’s life wasn’t so bad after all, Kiera plots her escape. Before she can steal away, she’s discovered and thrown into the dungeon with a crazed wolfborn to die.

Lachlan never thought that he’d see his childhood sweetheart once his wolfborn affliction set in. Nor did he expect to ever see daylight. Imprisoned in the dungeon since adolescence, his brothers have usurped the throne and trail evil in their wake. When Kiera lands in the dungeon with him, he recovers his will to put things right. Kiera may not remember him, but he remembers her, and Lachlan vows to save her from his brothers and their schemes.

Except Kiera wields a power unlike any other, and she doesn’t need saving. But the people of Cearbhall do. As Kiera and Lachlan fight the evil princes, they uncover a greater magic in the world around them, and a powerful magic between them that can’t be denied…

Tyler Blake is making quite a name for himself in the racing circuit and has everything he’s ever wanted—fame, the support of his family, and hot women clamoring for his attention. But he can’t get a certain bookseller out of his head. The passionate night he spent with Michelle Bradley on the eve of his brother’s wedding still haunts him. He’s too busy living the dream to want commitment, but when he hears Michelle is seeing someone, it bothers him more than he’s willing to admit.

Michelle Bradley is making some major changes in her life. Fed up with months of pursuing the elusive Tyler Blake, she’s ready to throw in the towel. The night she spent with Tyler might as well never have happened, because he doesn’t seem to know she’s alive. But when a cooking class inspires Michelle to funnel her passion into the fine art of cuisine, she finds a new outlet: writing a food blog. Until a glimpse of Tyler on television kissing a woman after a big win sends her into a tizzy. With the help of the Blake women, Michelle kidnaps Tyler and takes him to a secluded cabin so they can have it out once and for all. She hopes the fabulous meal she’s prepared will entice him to stay, at least long enough for dessert…

No one ventures into the Black Forest without good reason. The townspeople of Pine Ridge keep far outside its border, for there’s more living among the trees than meets the eye. There are witches in the woods. Witches like the Edgewood Sisters. Under the cover of darkness, the sisters serve the people of Pine Ridge with potions or gifts of the flesh. But there’s something else in the forest, something beneath the waterfall that must be kept caged at all costs.

When the sheriff, Jarrett Deaton, falls for the beautiful Thorne Edgewood, secrets begin to surface and terrible whispers of past crimes pit the sisters against the town. A battle between white and black magic mounts as the Edgewood sisters take on a shrouded creature, hell hounds, a jealous witch and an evil warlock. As the town calls for blood, Thorne’s struggle between the light and dark leads her further and further down a dangerous path, and Jarrett might not be able to save her. Everyone has a secret. But no secret can remain buried forever…

Their friendship was changing. Carrie Hill had been attracted to hot contractor Mike Gilbert for years. Too bad they were both involved with other people. But when suddenly-single Carrie calls him to do some work on her house, she learns her hot contractor is a newly divorced hot contractor, and the time for hiding their feelings is over. Both want to rip each other’s clothes off, and when they do, the sex is hotter than Carrie could have dreamed. But can a friends-with-benefits arrangement succeed without ruining their friendship? What if it didn’t work out? And what if it did?

Gabriel knows there are perks to being a bouncer at the wildest bar in town. The Phoenix Rising is known for being the place to go for a beer and a side of down-and-dirty sex, and Gabriel has seen his share of the action. Anything goes as long as both parties are willing, and when Anne walks in smelling like repressed passion, Gabriel is intrigued.

Anne is tired of being a perpetual wallflower. After divorcing the cheating ex, she heads to the one place in town guaranteed to help her find a good time—The Phoenix Rising. She can’t believe the gorgeous bouncer is attracted to her in spite of her plus-sized body. Being with him is like nothing she’s used to, and he makes her feel like so much more than just a dress size. But Gabriel has secrets. The former British Marine won’t talk about why he’s working as a bouncer in an American bar. Worse, he’s perfectly happy to tell her he doesn’t do long-term commitments. But now that Gabriel has taught Anne what it feels like to fly, how will she ever be able to walk away?

Rone’s a small-time thief and dock whore whose only ambition is to ask Robin, an intersex elf who stars in a peepshow, out for drinks. But when Rone agrees to run messages for a shipping magnate, suddenly Farthalan Port’s rival factions—vampire, elf, and human—become interested in his work. And they all want a cut.

Everyone thinks Rone knows a lot more than he does, but he has no idea what’s in the messages he’s carrying—he can’t read. All he can fish up are rumors of a fake princess, who might be out to defraud the royal family, or who might have been planted by the king himself to dupe a visiting prince. Either way, Rone suspects he’s being set up to take the blame. And being pursued by a vampire called Shark, a couple of elf thugs, and an undercover city guard doesn’t help his odds of coming out alive.

If he can figure out what’s really going on, he might be able to buy his way out of the whole mess. If he can’t, he and Robin are both sunk.

The remarkable short works collected in Dirty Laundry explore the unraveling of lives at their most intimate moments, the uncomfortable starkness of truth, the unmasking of lies. Whether a cop on the make, a seminary student, or a college kid trying to stay pure, nobody avoids the soil of circumstance. Some try to hide from themselves, others embrace who they truly are. But nobody gets away clean.